Nails of the Day – Vibrant Sugar Crush!

Being a beauty product junkie I’m always up to my eyes in nail polishes. I tend to be drawn to the same shades all the time, muted and soft. But on occasion a truly vibrant shade catches my eye. Today I opted for one such polish.

The polish in question is Pool Crush from Isa Dora’s Sugar Crush Collection. Rather a giddy shade of blue wouldn’t you say? The collection has ten shades, all matte finish with a just-dipped-in-sugar look. LOVE!


I should point out that this swatch was taken after only one coat of polish. One! I couldn’t believe it. It was easy to apply, no mess, no smudging, no need for precision and care. It dried in rapid time, probably due to its matte finish.
I love the finish and it lasts much longer than my usual polish. Isa Dora’s nail polish are free from formaldehyde, camphor, toluene and DBP, which is kind of important considering I’m exposing a fetus to the smell :)

Sugar Crush nails cost €9.75 each which is a little more than I like to spend on nail polish. But thanks to the speed and ease of application, the unique finish and the vibrancy of the shade I would happily but more. They are on sale in Debenhams and selected pharmacies around Ireland (I usually peruse Isa Dora in my local Unicare).
Apologies for missing my 6am blog post, it would appear I skipped a day when scheduling. I will be back later on today with another post, I’m in blogging form :) Have a good day everyone, see you later!

Thoughts on the colour / finish?

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Isa Dora Spring Make-up..

You have probably heard me yapping about my love for Isa Dora cosmetics when I was a teenager. Last year I made a Product Rave video about their blush (posted below). Well now they have a few products lined up for Spring and I have been dabbling. Oh how Amy likes to dabble.
The collection is called Pearls of Passion…

Wonder Nail Polish (€7.95)

Eye Shadow Quartet ‘Rainbow Pearls’ €13.50

Glow Stick Blusher – Rose Petal (€15.50)

Twist-up Metallic Eye Pencil (€10.95)

This bracelet comes free with any 2 purchases…

Some swatches…


Here is my Porduct Rave video on the Glowstick – I also apply it on camera to show you what it looks like.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_07KvQECUk
And a swatch on my arm for shade reference – one needs to be thorough :) …

My thoughts so far:

• Love the nail polish. At first glance I thought it was just another lavender shade but when I saw the reflects I was thrilled. It looks absolutely beautiful on (I’ll swatch it later and post in the morning). If a garden fairy were to choose a nail polish this would be for her.
• The bracelet is completely wearable. In fact, I have worn it twice this week. It’s good quality – not what you expect for a freebie.
• The blush… well, the video speaks for itself. I also included it my Spring favourites video before I knew they were re-promoting it.
• The eyeshadow palette isn’t like the ones I used to collect as a teen. This palette in particular is very shimmery. If you’re into shimmer than you might like. I would also recommend an eye base to avoid fallout. I like the goldy shade the most. I applied it over a paint-pot and it looks beautiful on blue eyes.

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Isa Dora Bella Vita Spring Makeup Collection – Pics, Swatches & Review

I’m all about Spring makeup this week, I blame it on the brighter evenings. Isa Dora has some pretty offerings this season.
JELLY KISS GEL LIPSTICK (€12.95 / £10.95) in Biscotti and Ballerina. Biscotti is a creamy nude shade while Ballerina is the perfect Barbie pink. I love Isa Dora’s Jelly Kiss lipsticks. They shades are so pretty and the packing is cute. The magnetic lid is great. They give lips a sheer, semi-transparent colour and help keep them moisturised. There are three new shades for Spring – the third is Cappuccino.





MOISTURISING LIP GLOSS (€10.95/£9.50) in Bubblegum. I have had a long standing love affair with Isa Dora’s lip glosses. I have been buying them since I was fourteen. This is a perfect shade of pink. Love it.



PERFECT POWDER ROUGE (€15.50/£12.95) in Pink Blossom. This a gorgeous pink blush that would work on most skin tones. I have been wearing nothing else.



FLEX TIP EYELINER (€11.50 / £9.95) in Charcoal Black. This is quick drying eyeliner. You can draw a slim line of a thicker one is a few seconnds. The applicator is long and felexible and it’s easy to control. The shade is carbon black, it dries quickly and doesn’t smudge of transfer.



WONDER NAIL POLISH (€7.95 / £6.50)  in Bella Vita, a creamy lilac. There are also three more shades -
nude ‘Macchiato’, pink ‘Rosette’ or mint green ‘Pistacchio’.

All in all a pretty decent collection!
The collection is available in pharmacies and selected Debenhams stores right now.
Any thoughts on the collection? Any Isa Dora fans?

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Lipstick Love – Isa Dora Pink Parfait Review & Swatches

If you watched my recent product rave video you will have heard me rant a little about an Isa Dora Jelly Kiss lipstick I have recently fallen for.
It’s a beautiful pink (what a shocker) in 53 Pink Parfait. You can find swatches below and photos of what it looks like on me for reference.

And here are some swatches. It looks a little matter here than it is in real life.



And a little close-up…

I would say that the colour above is quite true to life. It looks like a vibrant pink with a hint of coral.

Here’s how it looks on my lips….



As you can see, it swatches lighter on the lips that in the tube. I’m quite happy about that – I doubt I could pull off a very loud pink.
For me, this is a perfect shade of pink for Spring and Summer. I mentioned in the my video that it reminds me of MAC’s Colour Crafted lipstick, which I love but it was part of a limited edition collection. I actually have a back-up to mine in my drawer but with the lipstick I don’t think I’ll be reaching for it any time soon.
Finish wise, it’s glossy and moisturising. It has a little but of a jelly look on the lips. It doesn’t dry out my lips, it leaves them looking fresh and youthful.
Jelly Kiss’ lipsticks are presented in a sleek silver metal case which is magnetised, which is really handy.  It is also fragrance free for those of you who have an aversion to lipstick smells.
I would be keen to try some other shades so if you have any let me know what you think. They cost €12.95, cheaper than MAC and just as lovely.
As I mentioned in my video I buy Isa Dora from my local Unicare pharmacy (which they have all over Ireland). I did a little research and those of you in the US can order from their site.
What lipstick are you loving at the moment?

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IsaDora’s WILD WEST Bronzing Collection – Review, Swatches & Photos

I have been dabbling with IsaDora’s new “WILD WEST” bronzing collection for the past two months and realised this morning that I never shared it with you! Sin, I know.

I got my hands on the new bronzing powder – humongous in size, a bronzing glow stick and an eyeshadow trio. I like them all, but love one. Be prepared for a lot of photos! I included a  little ‘Face of the Day’ type pic too.

GLOW STICK BLUSHER ‘Bronze Kissed’

I hear that this is one of IsaDora’s most popular products.  I can see why. It’s extremely quick and easy to apply and glides over the skin giving it a natural, Summery translucent glow. I love this product – not really surprising when you think of how much I raved about the blush shade last Spring.

Bronzing Powder in Bronze Tan

There are now 4 large Bronzing Powders in IsaDora’s range -1 matte and 3 with a subtle shimmer.  I love the matte one and wasn’t sure about trying the shimmery option. I tried Bronze Tan. It’s beauteous. It gives a warm terracotta glow to the skin. And although I love the matte shade for Winter and contouring, this shade is perfect for Summer. More importantly there is no glitter chunkage. I should also mention that I had an Isa Dora Body Bronzing Kabuki brush in  my collection for over a year now and I wouldn’t be without it. It’s so soft and densely packed.

I took the swatch image in natural light (no flash). The swatch on the left shows a heavier application whereas the swatch on the right shows a light dusting.

Eyeshadow Trio in Leopard

Once again, swatches taken in natural light, no base used. The eyeshadow trio is good for everyday use. Like most eyeshadow palettes I’m not mad about the applicator. I actually applied these with my fingers and blended with a fluffy brush. I recommend an eyeshadow base or even some concealer on your eyelid to help prevent fall-out and keep the colour perky. The shades are very wearable, there’s nothing in there that won’t suit everyone – for the same reason, it’s nothing exciting. That being said I have worn these quite a lot. I like the middle shade on my lid, the dark one smudged into my lash line and the light shade on the tearduct to open up my eyes. Simple and pretty.

Prices

• Bronzing Powder in ‘Bronze Tan’ – €25.95
• Glow Stick Blusher in ‘Bronze Kissed’ -  €15.50
• Eye Shadow Trio ‘Leopard’ (€12.90)

Isa Dora is on sale in pharmacies around the country and also in Debenhams Limerick, Blanchardstown and Tallaght.

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Cheek Heaven – New Naked Flushed from Urban Decay

I have been obsessed with Urban Decay eyeshadows for years. I have a ridiculous collection of their palettes and 24/7 liners and have worked my way though countless tubes of Primer Potion. Outside of this I had not really delved into their other products.
I was delighted when I first set eyes on their new blush, bronzer, highlighter threesome last week. It is just disgustingly pretty.
The packaging is sleek and elegant. The metal box is durable and closes itself thanks to a carefullt placed magnet. It might seem ridiculous to include this is a review but to be honest I have lost so many blushers due to bad packaging.  No more lives should be lost.

 

Each shade is set right beside the next with no separation so you can swipe your brush along and blend all three or you can wear them all separately without any problems. I also like the distribution of products – there is more bronzer, since you will use this more, then comes blush followed by a lesser amount of highlighter (which you only use a smidge of anyways). The quantities of each products means you get the perfect rosy glow when you blend all three together.
The products is silky and smooth, very easy to apply. It’s pigmented but stays on the pretty side of the fence rather than something Aunt Sally might have worn. Case in point:

It feels really luxurious and is light on the skin – no chalkiness or powderiness in sight.
The shades:
Bronzer – a sheer medium bronze satin. I love this, it’s soft and pretty without any orange
Blusher – dusty rose with a hint shimmer (no glitter!)
Highlighter – soft pink champagne shimmer (again sans glitter)
In this swatch photo – left id the bronzer, second is the highlighter, third is the blush and last is them all together.

I should point out that Flushed is also free from parabens, fragrance, mineral oil and alcohol.  Price wise this one comes in at €26/£20 which would be expensive for a blush but considering you are buying three products this is a great price.
I have been wearing this to death. Some days I swirl the lot together, other days I separate them. Either way this product is no a firm favourite in my collection.
Have you tried Flushed? What is your favourite Urban Decay product?

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